


Lonely, Empty Room

by BeneaththeHalo



Series: Courage Magic Strength [26]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Era, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-26
Updated: 2014-08-26
Packaged: 2018-02-14 21:40:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2204034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeneaththeHalo/pseuds/BeneaththeHalo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It just isn't the same without Merlin there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lonely, Empty Room

**Author's Note:**

> Day #26- Boring Sex

Arthur’s chambers felt awfully big and empty, that night. Normally the rooms felt comforting and warm, like they were _theirs_ , but tonight they just felt cold. They’d felt that way for the past three nights. Ever since Merlin had left.

They hadn’t wanted Merlin to leave, and neither had Merlin himself, but the druids needed his help. They’d needed Emrys and his magic to protect them. Nobody else was powerful enough. Merlin had refused to let Arthur and Gwaine come with him; it was far too dangerous. Besides, Arthur had a kingdom to run, Gwaine had his knightly duties, and neither of them had magic. They couldn’t defend themselves against the things that Merlin could, and if they were there, he would be too worried about their safety to even consider his own. So he had left, even though none of them wanted to, with no idea how long he would be.

Lying in bed, the sheets bunched around his ankles, Arthur cupped Gwaine’s thigh with one hand, the other splayed across Gwaine’s chest to holding him close. His cock was buried deep inside Gwaine, and even though he could feel his orgasm building, driving him faster and harder, making his movements more erratic as he clutched Gwaine even closer, he wasn’t getting any real enjoyment. Neither of them were. Sex just wasn’t the same without Merlin.

Arthur felt Gwaine clench around him, throwing his head back, and he knew Gwaine was close. When he did come, though, it was Merlin’s name on his lips. As it was for Arthur.

“I miss him,” Gwaine admitted in a small voice as Arthur pulled out of him, taking Gwaine into his arms and holding him against his chest. Gwaine sighed, turning to face Arthur before resting his head on the king’s chest.  “It’s just… it’s just not the same without him.”

“I know,” Arthur whispered, reaching out to cup Gwaine’s face with one hand, rubbing a thumb tenderly over Gwaine’s rough lips. “These chambers feel so empty and so cold and lonely without him. If you weren’t here, I feel it would drive me insane.” Arthur replaced his thumb with his mouth, kissing lightly, trying to comfort himself as much as he was trying to comfort Gwaine, before pressing his lips to Gwaine’s brow. “I close my eyes and try to imagine him being here, with us, but all I see is him dying a thousand times over in a thousand different ways.”

“Me too,” said Gwaine, running his fingers absentmindedly up and down Arthur’s arm. “If I dream, I see him die. I _know_ he’s still alive, because I can feel it, but we don’t know where he is or what kind of danger he’s in, and I just-”

“Hush, Gwaine, hush,” Arthur whispered in his lover’s ear, tangling his fingers in Gwaine’s hair and playing with it. He knew how much Gwaine loved that. Gwaine did relax some, his lips delicate on Arthur's chest, and closed his eyes. Arthur could still feel the tension in Gwaine's body, tension that only one pair of hands could ease, and that person was not Arthur.

It was Merlin.

But still Arthur tried, touching Gwaine everywhere, his fingers kneading, digging in, moving lower and lower down Gwaine's body. Gwaine still had his eyes closed, trying to pretend it was Merlin and not Arthur that was touching him, even as Arthur pretended that Gwaine was Merlin. But it was not the same. It would never be the same.

"I don't think I'll sleep tonight," Arthur sighed as his fingers stilled, one hand cupping Gwaine's arse, the other on his chest. "With every day he's gone, I grow more and more scared that he'll never come home."

Normally Gwaine would make some joke about how soft Arthur had gotten, call him 'princess', but now was not the time for that. Not when Gwaine felt the same way. "I don't think I'll be sleeping much, either. I don't think I could stand to have those dreams again." Gwaine reached blindly backwards, his hand finding Arthur's groin and squeezing, rubbing, _teasing._ "I know that this is... well, _boring_ without Merlin. It's not the same without all three of us in bed. But we need _something_ to take our mind off this worry, or it'll drive us insane."

Arthur sighed but turned around so he had his back to Gwaine, pressing his arse into Gwaine's half-hard cock. "Then help me stop _thinking_ about it," he muttered.

Gwaine could be incredibly gentle when he wanted to be, when he knew it was what Arthur or Merlin needed. This time, it _wasn't_ what he needed. He needed passion, he needed aggression, something that wouldn't let him _think._ So that was exactly what Gwaine gave him, holding Arthur right as if afraid he'd disappear too, thrusting into him almost recklessly. It still wasn't the same as it was with Merlin there, and it never would be, but it was _enough._

As Arthur arched back against Gwaine, letting out a wordless cry, he saw a figure appear in the doorway. A familiar, slim figure, with dark her and those sparkling blue eyes they both loved. The figure came into the room, his face illuminated by the flickering firelight, weary but unharmed. He watched unashamed as Gwaine gripped Arthur close, emptying himself inside the king. Both men looked up as the figure pressed his lips first to Arthur's forehead, then Gwaine's. Arthur collapsed against Gwaine, both their faces the very picture of relief, and they whispered the figure's name.

"Merlin."


End file.
